You Shall Not Murder

Radiant Church, June 2, 2019 Mike Rydman You Shall Not Murder Exodus 20:13 You shall not murder We are all make in the image of God Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Self-defense is not a violation of the sixth commandment Genesis 9: 5-6 And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” Capital punishment for murder not considered a violation of the sixth commandment Premeditated, intentional killing Pretty much everyone in western societies agrees that murder is wrong Also prohibits against negligent homicide Exodus 21:28-29 When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner ahs been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. Deuteronomy 22:8 When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it. Like having a secure cover over your hot tub The sixth commandment prohibits suicide God does not ever lead us into a situation where violating His commandments is the only option The sixth commandment prohibits abortion Psalm 139:13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. The ancient Greeks were dualists: body and soul were separate things God, on the other hand always tells us that body and soul are linked Exodus 21:22-23 When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. Against injuring a woman’s baby while still in the womb Contrary to common practice in the ancient world The second bit was actually a protection against over punishment Like “a life for a tooth” The sixth commandment prohibits euthanasia Most if not all of us think we’ve done a good job of avoiding violating the commandment against murder. But Jesus had a knack of exposing the deeper things in God’ Word Matt. 5:21-24 You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.” Bit I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, “You fool!” will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the alter and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the alter and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Anger, bitterness, invective (harsh, abusive language), insult, rage Matt. 26:39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” What is the cup? God’s wrath toward sinners like us Jesus paid that price. He drank down the cup of God’s wrath, in our place Where does that now leave us? Romans 1:5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. “For his name’s sake” – the purpose of the gospel is to bring glory to God everywhere “Grace” – God’s undeserved mercy, the motivation and power for our ongoing power to believe God, to take him at his Word, and to obey him in all things “Apostleship” – people who are sent with Jesus’ authority and the necessary gifting for the mission to the world. Those who gather people into local expressions for mission – the church “Among the Gentiles” – a worldwide call to all the nations, even including the people who already attend churches “Obedience of faith” – the purpose of God’s call is not to bring people into submission to law or ritual, or to force them through military force or even personal guilt. The gospel is good news of God’s grace. In his grace, God awakens people who are dead in sin. They respond in faith, and their obedience springs from that faith Our trusting God, together, believing what he says about who he is and what he’s done for us through Jesus, together, and obeying what he has told us to obey, together, is the primary apologetic to the world When the world looks at us, as a local expression of the Body of Christ, it should see in some fashion the glory of God